On a recent trip to NYC with my mom, we were walking around my favorite wellness spots and talking about the stories behind products and brands we saw. I realized that some of my favorite brands had similar pieces of their stories. “They actually started and grew their blog and then it became their business and now they create or collaborate to make this product – or wrote this book, or created this store).” Taking your online brand and creating something physical highlights not only a ton of hard work and talent, but also the exciting opportunities of social media and our digital world. Here are 7 entrepreneurs who are taking their online wellness brands offline, and shaping the landscape as they do it.
Names linked with photo credit from left to right, top to bottom: Rachel Mansfield (Pura Soul Photo) Hannah Bronfman, Rachael Devaux, Emily Weiss, Lily Kunin, Ali Bonar, Katie Sturino
Hannah Bronfman
@hbfit @hannahbronfman
Hannah is a DJ, wellness entrepreneur and Founder of HBFIT, the health, beauty and fitness website. In addition to serving up the latest real-talk on health and wellness trends, HBFIT has also had partnerships with brands like Grassroots Juicery to make delish snack bars for on-the-go. To add to her already impressive resume, Hannah just released her first book, Do What Feels Good, which is packed with “recipes, remedies, and routines to treat your body right”. The book is an extension of Hannah and HBFIT’s philosophy and shares Hannah’s personal introduction and journey in the health and wellness space. One of my favorite quotes about the book, that Hannah posted to instagram is, ‘I saw first-hand what can happen when someone else’s standard of beauty becomes your own.’ Hannah is a serious inspiration and leading force in the space of building health and wellness brands – online, and on the shelf. | hbfit.com
Rachel Mansfield
@rachlmansfield
Rachel is a recipe developer, speaker, workshop host, food stylist and soon-to-be cookbook author. Rachel started her blog as a side hobby to share her recipes for overnight oats and other “weird Rachel foods” as she says her friends called them at the time. After an unexpected lay off in December 2015 she gave herself 6 months to see if she could turn recipe development and her blog into a business. Hint: she did and more than doubled her salary. By growing her online presence, community and recognition for her iconic baked goods on her marble backdrop, Rachel has also had amazing partnerships with brands like her own flavor of Eating Evolved cups, a featured meals at restaurants like Cafe Clover and Springbone Kitchen and hosting cooking classes and events across NYC. and in 2020 will publish her first cookbook! | rachlmansfield.com
Lily Kunin
@CleanFoodDirtyCity @clean.market
Lily is a plant-based cook, certified health coach, cookbook author and most recently, the founder of Clean Market in NYC. Lily shares recipes and inspiration to make good food that also makes you feel good. Her website and book share approachable and delicious recipes that make you want to get in the kitchen (some even take 5 minutes or less!). Lily opened Clean Market in midtown east, September 2018, to be a one-stop shop for wellness services, medical-grade supplements and lifestyle brands. The shop features IV drip, cryotherapy, infrared sauna and products like Moon Juice, Collagen Peptides, Goop, Beekeeper’s Naturals, Coconut Cult, Magic Mix, Grassroots Juicery, a range of CBD products and serums. There’s also a cafe inside that sells lattes, smoothies, wellness shots and drinks. From blog to book to brick-and-mortar wellness center, Lily is shaping the landscape of wellness brands and laying the groundwork for future entrepreneurs. |cleanfooddirtycity.com cleanmarket.com
Rachael Devaux
@RachaelGoodEats @ToastSocietyCafe
Racheal is a registered dietitian, certified personal trainer, recipe developer, and entrepreneur. She is the Co-Founder of Toast Society cafe in Las Vegas, and developer of the new, innovative workout program Good Sweat. Rachael started her instagram during her dietetic internship and has consistently grown her following and recognition with her healthy recipes and inspiring workouts. In 2018 she opened Toast Society Cafe in Las Vegas, with her sister as co-owner. In early 2019 she announced her new workout program, Good Sweat, that offers minimal equipment, 10 weeks of workout guides for $6.99/week that encourage you to challenge yourself and move in a way that feels good. Rachael is definitely one to watch as she continues to expand her brand and reach in the food, wellness and fitness spaces. | rachaelsgoodeats.com toastsocietycafe.com
Emily Weiss
@EmilyWeiss @Glossier
Glossier is a ‘people-powered beauty ecosystem’ equal parts product and the community who uses them. The makeup and skincare line defines what it means to put the customer first, since the customers were there first. Emily Weiss told Guy Raz of How I Built This that she first started her beauty blog, Into the Gloss, when she was an Assistant at Vogue. She would sit on the bathroom floors of celebrities and models to interview them on their bathroom ‘top shelves’ and beauty routines. From here, the blog and community took off. With the support of the community around Into the Gloss, Emily went on to create her own line of products, that was customer-centered and inspired by the people who use them. Glossier is now known as the Millennial makeup brand and Emily is known for shaking up the beauty industry by ‘getting people to buy beauty products without trying them first.’ Almost all business is done online, and according to Bloomberg in 2018, Glossier is said to have sold ~1 Boy Brow every minute (I have contributed to these purchases) and that would be ~$8 million, alone. | glossier.com intothegloss.com
Ali Bonar
@Avokween @KweenandCo
Ali is a recipe developer, food stylist, co-founder of Kween Foods, best known for their hit product, granola butter and a total force in the social media & wellness scene. Ali started her instagram @avokween in summer 2017 and in just a few months, gained some major attention for her drool-worthy #freethedrip creations. Since then, Ali has become an advocate for body image, self-love and ‘empowering you to feel like a freakin’ kween.’ Her online presence is a mix of make-you-want-to-eat-your-phone baked goods, real life, funny captions and the behind-the-scenes of starting your own food company. We have a feeling that Ali is just getting started and can’t wait to see what she’s cookin’ up next. | kween.co
Katie Sturino
@The12ishStyle @megababe
Katie is the founder The 12ish Style and the beauty brand Megababe that’s shaking up the fashion, beauty and wellness industries. Katie recently wrote a piece for Vogue named “I gained 60 lbs during my divorce and turned it into a thriving business”. On The 12ish Style, Katie describes herself as a size 12 ish who believes great style can look chic at any size and even started a movement called #MakeMySize where she calls out fashion brands that stop their sizing at 10, or 12 – leaving out over ⅔ population of women in America. Katie is not only making a movement on social media, she’s also making products – and they’re so popular, their natural deodorant had a 13,000 person wait list. Yes, really. Katie created the products women needed but couldn’t find, and made them fun and better for us. Products range from the natural deodorant, Rosy Pits aka. award winning aluminum-free deodorant and Thigh Rescue the award-winning anti-chafe stick, to Bust Dust to help you wear your favorite top without the fear of boob sweat and Megafresh Wipes for ‘care-down-there’. In addition to serving up fashion inspiration, advocating for more size-inclusivity and creating the beauty products of our millennial-pink dreams, Katie also does regular roundups of female-owned brands on her instagram stories and hosts star-studded and affordable closet sales in NYC. | the12ishstyle.com megababebeauty.com
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